Wendword

Coming Soon!!!

2009-07-09T20:28:00.001-06:00

More details coming next week!

I can't type it twice...

2009-07-07T15:54:00.002-06:00

so to see today's big news, you'll have to swing over to my other blog!

www.wendsdayschild.blogspot.com

Networked to Death

2009-07-06T23:20:00.003-06:00

Okay, I'm all for getting my name out there, brand recognition and all that, but seriously...

I actually heard on the radio news the other day that a man went jogging and ended up in the hospital with a fairly serious concussion - because he was "Twittering" from his cell phone while he ran, and ran his own forehead into a low-hanging tree branch.

Come on, now... There are perks to being connected, but aren't we getting a little excessive?

It made me think of Wall-E, when the two guys were talking to each other over the computer screen, while they were within two feet of each other.

Is human physical contact in danger of completely disappearing, all while we are tied so tightly together with this silken thread we call networking that we can't get away for even 15 minutes to go jogging?

Heaven help us all.

TradeMarked

2009-07-04T01:27:00.003-06:00

Wendword is now a TradeMark - and I've got a logo to go with it. It all feels terribly official - for whatever that's worth. *grin!*

So here's my new, official Wendword TradeMarked Logo!

Whaddaya think?

Perk!

2009-06-30T21:33:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I found a perk that comes with the whole fictionalizing falderal, and I must share.

I can say ANYTHING! I can tell things I never would have admitted to in a million years, and if anyone says anything about it, I can answer -

It's FICTION!

Mwaaahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.....

*sighhhh...*

Windblown and Weary

2009-06-29T15:57:00.004-06:00

There are a few things about me that do not go well with my dream of being a writer. They're very frustrating. But I'll tell you about them so that anyone else who feels this way will know they're not alone.

In order to survive in this life, I have to take prescription drugs every night. I don't dare go a day without them, or the adverse effects are immediate. One of them, in particular, affects my imagination. The first time I took it, I felt stupid because I only had one thought in my brain at a time. Oh, sure - come to find out that's supposedly "normal', but it had never happened to me before. I always had four or five trains of thought barreling through my mind all at the same time, sounding their loudest whistles as they went, which made it very easy to always have two or three stories brewing on different burners back there at all times. Can't do that so well any more.

My age seems to have snuck up on me while I wasn't looking, and suddenly all those wonderful ultra romantic daydreams that used to come so easily all seem improbable and full of catches. Maybe it's too much personal experience that tell me that handsome prince over in the corner giving me the "come hither" stare is most likely a really big, fat, immature jerk. And those impossible quests that made for so much excitement as a kid now seem such a useless waste of time, when there's so many other important things that really need to be done that I already don't have the time and energy to get done like I should.

I always thought my greatest goal in life was to be a mother. I may go to hell for saying this, but now I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong - I love my boy, but forty isn't really the best time to start having kids, if we'd ended up with Short Pants ten or fifteen years ago it would have been great. But I'd already given up when he came along, and adjusted my life's goals to be a writer instead of a mom. Adjusting them back to somewhere in the middle is not easily done.

So, add that to all the financial strains, stresses of an unsure adoption, and life in an apartment that's two sizes too small, and that's my life in general viciously battling with my dream of being a writer.

Don't worry about me - I'm not as depressed as this post makes it sound. It just is what it is...

So if anyone else is struggling, you're not the only one. Hang in there with me, and we'll be okay.

Coming Attraction!!

2009-06-28T22:47:00.002-06:00

Since I can't seem to wrap my head around what to do with that blasted nonfiction, I'm throwing myself full force into my other current project.

Yes, I'm publishing something.... Keep an eye out for all the fabulous details coming soon. I will give you a bit of a hint:

There may not be a magic formula for writing a novel, but this comes pretty darn close!

Check back for more details coming soon!

Rejected, Without Prejudice

2009-06-26T17:59:00.006-06:00

Well, I've gotten the first rejection on my nonfiction.

Ouch - that stung! I found myself saying, "but she only read the first fifty pages! She didn't even get to the best part!" Yeah, spoken like a true amateur, I know. And then I cried. And pouted. And hid in my room (okay, I'm actually still in there...). But finally I gave in and reread the rejection letter to see what good I could glean from it.

It was a very constructive and personalized rejection, for which I am grateful. There were a couple of lines of; "I know you can do better than this", which were killing, but also some positive feedback. The one major suggestion included was that I rewrite this as fiction, based on a true story. This isn't the first time I've gotten that suggestion. Matter of fact, several people have suggested the same thing.

I've been very stubborn about absolutely not doing that.

This ray of hope following closely after made me seriously reconsider my stance:

..."if you were to make this a fiction piece, and use that same voice as in the first chapter, it would be an awesome, compelling book and I'd want to be first in line to consider it for publication..."

In truth, I needed to get the real thing down on paper, in all it's questionable glory. It was terribly painful, and even more therapeutic, and for what it's worth, writing it was a refining influence on my immortal soul.

But that's done now. I've faced the demons and survived to, literally, tell the tale. I've honored my father and my mother, like the Good Book says.

Putting it in print the first time felt like it almost killed me in places. Do I dare consider the seeming blasphemy of doing it again as fiction? Now that I've conquered it once, can I reshape it, make it my servant, .....rewrite it? Do I have that kind of strength?

I'm not sure. But I do know that I can handle a good dose of humility, uncomfortable and irksome as it may be. And if this trusted source, among the many others who have suggested the same, thinks it is a good idea, then perhaps I should be pliable enough to at least give it a darn good try.

So thanks to all who have supported, critiqued, read, and even rejected, the nonfiction. All that's left to say is:

Here we go again!

Valor Publishing Group Opens Its Doors

2009-06-22T06:56:00.004-06:00

There's a new publisher in town! They are now open and accepting submissions.

Valor Publishing Group

I have a special interest in this one, it is founded by a friend of mine, Candice Salima.

Valor intends to mix the national and LDS markets, and flood them with literature that lives up to high moral standards. More and more the "traditional" LDS publishing houses are working to break into the national market, which is fantastic for more reasons than one - first being that not everyone in the world has a Deseret or Seagull Book store on the corner, and secondly that the LDS population are not the only people interested in reading good books that are not filled with junk!

Put really, truly good books on the shelves of the nations bookstores, and people will buy them!

In order to do that - authors of those really, truly good books need to get them to the publishers who can get them on those shelves!! Submit, people, submit!

It's Out There

2009-06-20T11:30:00.002-06:00

You know that big chunk of my heart that I cut out and pasted to a page and called an autobiography? Yeah?

Well, it's out there in the wide world, all by itself. Gone off to make it's fortune, or die trying.

For better or for worse, I've sent it to it's first publisher.

Thankfully, the editor I've sent it to is someone I know, respect and, more important, trust implicitly. That makes it a little easier. Slightly. Marginally. A tad.

So now I sit back and hope the silly thing impresses the devil out of the next person to read it.

If I'm this bad with a book, what will I ever do when Short Pants leaves for college?

The Wonders of Modern Technology

2009-06-19T22:07:00.003-06:00

Had to laugh the other day. We've discovered Skype, which is a wonderful invention! But, as with all technology, it has it's limits. So do cell phones, namely batteries.

So put two technological glitches together and what do you get? You get the transcript of me trying to explain to my "technologically innocent" mother what had gone wrong.

Here, I'll show you:

Man, I love living in the modern world!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!! *sighhhhhhhh*

Out of the Pit...

2009-06-08T23:57:00.005-06:00

Okay, I think it's about time I get over my negativity kick. No more wallowing for me, at least for a while.

My mom and sisters are here for a week, for my niece's wedding, which gives me a good opportunity to pick their brains about the last of my fine tuning and cement some details I wasn't quite sure of. It's also given them a chance to express some concerns about the book, and hopefully have them put to rest.

I'm not stressing about getting the last bits done right this minute, there are just a few more tweaks to make before I send it out into the world to make it's own way.

I'm not sure whether rejection will be a relief, because it gives me that much more time before I have to face any repercussions, or a more jolting pain than the other rejections have been. They say don't take it personally, but I'm not sure with this manuscript I could help it - it would be part of my life they are rejecting.

...oops, almost sank into the wallow pit again. Sorry about that.

However it goes, it will be, at the very least, finished - and that is something I thought I would never accomplish. So KUDOS for me on that front.

Would you like a glimpse into the story itself? Here, I'll give you one... or maybe two. Enjoy.

When It Rains...

2009-06-01T22:35:00.003-06:00

It can never be just one challenge at a time, can it? Would it spoil some vast eternal plan...?

Reluctance...

2009-05-31T18:40:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm through the vast majority of edits that were suggested. No, I did not make every suggested change - some of the things that caught my critiquer were simply my voice. I couldn't change them without changing the entire tone of the story. But many, many others were very good suggestions.

And then there are the ones that are very good suggestions, but they're digging into new ground not covered on the previous editions. That new ground is back in dangerous territory, and I'm not quite sure how to proceed.

Writing a biography is tricky business when the members of your family that were also involved are still alive and kicking. Aye, theres the rub with the latest additions.

I have one family member who has pulled some really rotten things on the rest of us. The majority of them have nothing to do with this book, but some of it directly relates to the story I'm trying to tell. One incident in particular is critical to the plot, but I put in the barest bones of the situation and skipped over all the stuff I could have put in that would have just been included for meanness. And now there is one or two other incidents that probably should find their way into the story to help flesh it out.

It's like walking a tightrope. And the biggest problem is the lack of safety net, since the party in question (the jerky one) has expressed an interest in reading this book once it's done.

Oh, boy.

Blown Gasket!

2009-05-30T11:30:00.002-06:00

Wanna read what I've been writing lately?

Check out this post over at my other blog!

Blown Gasket at Wendsdays Child

Look for the red type. Talk about tension and conflict in nonfiction!!!

Draft #7

2009-05-27T21:01:00.004-06:00

Sounds like some kind of specialty beer, doesn't it? Don't worry, it's not. (Sorry, Ray!)

I'm about to start my sixth set of revisions on my autobiography. Another auther, who I now consider a good friend, read it and gave me some wonderful and enlightening feedback. I feel re-energized and ready to go another round with this book.

One of my critiquer's main points was that the manuscript reads like two separate stories. I never would have noticed that myself, but it made sense the instant that she said it. She asked why I wrote it, and what I wanted it to be. I really had to think for a minute about that - in fact, I've been mulling over it all afternoon. I think I've got it, and I'm looking forward to weaving that uniting string through the entire work.

She also said something that struck a very deep chord inside me. I would love to quote it perfectly, but I doubt I will, so I'll come as close as I can.

"In order to really put [your hero] up on a pedestal, you have to reach down into Hell to bring [your villain] out. But that means you have to walk through Hell to find him."

Wow.

So that means my next revision is going to be a walk through Hell. Can I do it? Can I do it to put my parents on the pedestal they rightfully deserve?

...bring it on.

Writer At A Loss For Words

2009-05-26T11:55:00.002-06:00

.
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...and that about sums it up.

Waylayed

2009-05-21T20:44:00.003-06:00

He was waiting for me in the bathroom.

"Can this wait?" I pleaded, I really had to go!

"But I need you," he said. "You've got to let me explain."

"Fine. Just turn around."

It's happened before. I think it must be the magnetic field created by water running through metal pipes that allows my characters to come to life in my bathroom. The last time it happened, my hero stood on the side of the tub, looking down from over the shower curtain. At least this time, the villain had the decency to turn his back.

"It's always been about 'us'," he said. I could only assume he meant himself and my heroine. "If the rest of them were gone, and the data destroyed, then we could live in peace."

"I could understand you killing the General," I admitted, over the sound of the flush. "But what about the others you killed off, one by one?"

"If no one was left who knew who we were," he said, turning around to look at me over my shoulder in the mirror as I washed my hands, "No one would ever come looking for either of us again, and we could both stop running. You've got to see that it makes sense. I'm not just a madman - there's reason, and logic, behind what I've done."

"Aha..." I was beginning to see.

"You don't know what they put us through when we were kids," the villain said.

"Yes," I answered. "I do. I knew you when you were young, and I understand you now."

"Good." He stepped back, a satisfied expression on his face. "That's all I wanted."

"I still don't approve." I reached past him for the towel to dry my hands.

"Of course not," he said. "But at least you know I'm not just some cookie-cutter psychopath."

"No," I said. "At least you won't be if I can help it..."

You've Heard of the 7th Inning Stretch? Well....

2009-05-17T20:32:00.004-06:00

I have this problem when I'm writing, it's called the 3rd Chapter Wall.

I am great at beginnings, I really am - the first three chapters are usually a breeze. But then I seem to slam into this great big wall. Kinda like the Green Monster at Fenway Park, you know that big wall between 2nd and 3rd base outfield, that nobody ever seems to get a ball over? I don't know why I seem to high center, but even when I know the plot, it seems to run dry right there and I have a devil of a time getting over it.

I suppose its a specialized form of writer's block. Really, there's nothing to be done except plunk my bum in that chair over there and write, whether I like it or not. But if anyone has any suggestions - magic potions, voodoo chants, a magic Louisville Slugger, etc - that will get rid of 3CW - please let me know!

*sigh*

Why Waste the Paper? A Gripe in Progress...

2009-05-15T10:44:00.003-06:00

Oh, boy - have I found a new gripe!!

I came across a new book/movie on the internet and glanced into it out of curiosity. I was fine, a little sceptical but that's normal for me, until I read an excerpt of Chapter 3.

There's always been this idea that positive thinking is the way to rule the world- simply think it strongly enough, and it will be yours, whatever "it" may be. While I do believe that one must keep a positive attitude, let me tell you why I think this particular subject is - not to put too fine a point on it - Bull Puckey. (not the words I'd rather use, but I'm trying to not say those sorts of words.)

In keeping with the bovine theme, here's my beef with this book: Here is what it really tells those reading it: You don't have enough money, so you need to pay these people to tell you how to get it. You're not thin enough - and I quote: "If you see people who are overweight do not observe them, but imediatly switch your mind to the picture of you in your perfect body and feel it," . (yeah! looking at a fat person is going to make you fat! Can anyone see why I would take exception to that??) You're not good enough: if you have problems, then it's just because you're not smart enough to "think" our way out of them!

Good grief, people! It's just one more instruction on intolerance, one more tool to tear us down, and to make us doubt ourselves. One more thing to undermine those who read it. Here's one more way we're told that we're not good enough.

Why? Why is this even in print?? Yeah, it's called "The Secret" and the secret is that it's a big, and I do mean BIG, load of tripe! I do not understand why innocent trees were killed to provide a venue for this junk.

Kills Me to Admit This, But...

2009-05-11T21:40:00.002-06:00

Fablehaven ROCKS! (yeah, I know - I'm a little late joining the bandwagon, but still...)

My Mothers Day present from my husband was book 1 and 2 of the Fablehaven series (He actually bought me the hardback of Book 4, but as I had never read the others, I traded it for paperbacks of the first two.)

I couldn't put them down - read them both in three days. They're not what I expected them to be, they're actually a lot more grown up than I thought they would be. I'm glad of that. I will say one thing - Brandon Mull really knows how to weave a mystery!

Okay, okay - I know I am guilty of the odd fits of jealousy regarding Mr. Mulls billboards, but as I finished up Rise of the Evening Star, I had to admit - man, he deserves it!

I guess I can also admit that what I really want isn't a billboard of my own - I just want to write something that deserves one. Something like Fablehaven!

Review: Bone Warriors by Bron Bahlmann

2009-05-07T11:20:00.007-06:00

At first glance in my cursory sweep of the LDStorymakers Conference bookstore, this title caught my eye. Then I saw the sign that said it was written by a 15 year old, while my interest peaked, all my cynical hackles did, too.

I liked Christopher Paolini's Eragon, I really did - but it was entirely obvious that it was written by a teenager: gimmicks in place of emotion, long stretches of relying on travel for action, and a certain amount of predictability.

Bone Warriors is SO MUCH BETTER! Brom Bahlmann is a fabulous writer! I kept expecting to find things that showed his age through his writing, and there were a couple of times I thought I found it - only to be proven wrong.

Derrick and Tweaks are best friends, and when their families are kidnapped by the evil Necromancer, they go to rescue them and save the day. But its not that easy for a couple of kids on a quest. Along the way, they end up with an enemy officer as a prisoner, a giant cow that saves their lives, and menagerie of unique creatures to face and outwit, each more menacing than the last.

Bone Warriors is a fantastic adventure - with two main characters that are real, believable, loveable boys. There are so many twists and turns, mixed with so many unique characters, there is no predictability - right to the very end, you aren't sure what's going to happen. The beginning is fabulous, the middle is tight, and the ending is somewhere between "happily ever after" and "cliffhanger", but I'm not sure which one is closer. You will want a hankie toward the end, but I'm not telling you why, just trust me.

It's so good, that the only tiny speck I can find to critique about it is the use of the word "lycan". Lycan is one of those words like "orc" - it was created by one story(Underworld, Orc is from Tolkien), and is quickly making its way into common usage. That's it. That's my one nitpick. Believe me, I looked for more, but that was all I found.

I completely enjoyed the book. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes an adventure, and I will be keeping my eye out for more by this fabulous new author!

Well done, Mr. Bahlmann! Well done, indeed!

Bone Warriors

Bron Bahlmann

ISBN:978-1-59955-322-1

Available for pre-order on Amazon.

www.bronbahlmann.com

Three VERY GOOD Reasons...

2009-05-04T18:20:00.005-06:00

...I will NEVER let Shirley Bahlmann near me with a camera, EVER AGAIN!

Pictures from the LDStorymakers Conference have been posted at the official site (click here to see them and highlights from the conference) . Shirley was the official photographer, and I swear she has a knack for catching me in the middle of a smart remark or stupid grin every time she clicks that camera!

Every time Shirley pointed a camera at me, I just happened to be standing next to one of the most beautiful, petite woman I know. Talk about Mutt and Jeff!

Okay, okay - this one I deserved. I have the indignity of being a ham thrust upon me.

And this is the wonderful Shirley Bahlmann, herself. Truly, I think she is a wonderful person, but I swear I'll run the other way the next time she points a camera my direction!

Sour Grapes? By the Vineyard!

2009-05-01T18:25:00.005-06:00

I understand that there were a whole heap of entries for the Storymakers First Chapter Contest, and I also understand that they judges had to be very picky.

Picky or not, there comes a point when you can honestly tell that one of the judges is not someone you could make happy no matter how hard you tried, someone who probably should not have been assigned your genre. Several of the entrants have been grousing about this since the conference, we pretty much all feel the same way. Do they make it a point to give each entry one judge who doesn’t like the genre, just to give it spice?

Honestly, I ask you!

Here are some of the responses included with the feedback to the non-winning entries – starting with mine. Now, I can’t complain about the notes about missing punctuation, typos, etc – those are well deserved. But there were some remarks that made me laugh out loud. These are the ones I have to share. Keep in mind, I have no idea who these judges were, so if you’re reading this and you recognize these comments as something you may have written – take it as the sibling-like heckling that you know you deserve! (You know I love you all!)

Here’s the set-up. The scene is a barbarian rescuing a maiden on a cliff from a dragon intent on eating said maiden. He has to climb the cliff to get to where she is. So...

At one point, a sentence is referred to that says the woman’s mouth was open, but her screams couldn’t be heard over the rushing wind and crashing waves. Here’s the note on that:

“[He] would be able to see her mouth, but would not be aware of the screams...”

I find that funny – ever watch an old horror movie with the sound turned down? You can’t mistake someone screaming.

But that one I can take with a grain of salt.

A couple of paragraphs later, Judge Nitpick said, and I quote:

“Use your dictionary. It should be glued to your side.”

Two sentences after that, this person misspelled the name of a very popular and well known fantasy novel! “... a kind of Aregon meets Pirates...” (I did not make that up, I have the paper to prove it!) Yeah, where’s your dictionary, there? I actually appreciated being likened to Eragon, thank you!

A friend of mine also wrote (in a fantasy, mind you) about a god sitting on his velvet covered throne, looking down on his creations. One judge (no idea if it was the same judge or not) actually asked in the notes:

“Where would you get velvet in Heaven?”

Um.... hello? Heaven, gods, all-wise, all-knowing. If they can have streets paved in gold, is it really such a stretch that they would know how to make velvet? Or at least a really good retailer?

But here is my personal favorite, again from Judge Nitpick, from my own chapter.

“It’s an awfully big dragon if it has ten inch talons”

Well, yeah. Draaaa-gonnn! Kind of the point that it was big.

“Did you draw out the foot to see how big it would have to be to have ten inch talons?”

Well, I didn’t really need to, I took my measurements from an existing creature. Kodiak bears can have ten inch claws, and they stand between 10-14 feet tall on hind legs. I think that’s a pretty good reference to size. 10 inches is also the span of my fingers if I lay my hand out flat. See? I did my homework.

Oh, wait – it gets better:

“A dragon that big would just tear the cliff apart, nor would the wind have any effect on it.”

WHOA. Back up.

Not only is that sentence entirely improper, I want everyone to really think about this for a minute! The wind, rushing in off the ocean and up a cliff would have no effect on a dragon because it was too big?? You’re kidding me right?

Someone has obviously never been on a 747 when it hit turbulence! I wonder if they are aware that giant beasts made of heavy metal, can be thrown about by the wind just as easily as a tissue paper? Maximum Take Off Gross Weight (which means how much can it weigh and still get airborn) of the new Airbus A380 is just over 1.2 million lbs – if that were a dragon, the talons would be one heck of a lot longer than ten inches!

The very next remark is:

“Thinking through logistics is really important.”

Oh, my word. Ya think?

Storymakers Conference Report - Partially

2009-04-30T08:34:00.005-06:00

I didn't intend to take this long to report on the writers conference last weekend. However, it didn't work out quite as planned for me. I ended up coming home halfway through Saturday, missed the last two workshops and the closing. The minute I got home, I went to bed, and stayed there for two or three days. Not feeling well at all! I am better now, thankfully.

The Writers Conf- erence was fabulous. I had a great oppor- tunity to meet lots of friends; some I already knew, some I knew from the internet but not in person, and some were completely new. That alone was worth going for!

They did Boot Camp in a new way this year. Boot Camp is an intensive workshop, early morning, before the regular conference started for the day. I was a little worried about the new format, but it worked much better than the old way! We had more time to get in depth, more time for better discussions, and staying at the same table instead of moving around saved time and let us get to know the other people at that table better. We had the chance to switch tables for the second day, and I didn't want to, so I stayed put. Well done, Boot Camp organizers!

I had a pitch session with Kirk Shaw, of Covenant. It didn't work out quite like I hoped. It turns out that Covenant reserves their "memoirs" for the General Authorities of the Church. (I don't qualify!) But Kirk was wonderful - very encouraging, and very helpful with suggestions to go to the national market and names of possible agents! Even though my manuscript didn't go any further that day, I walked out of our meeting feeling encouraged and motivated.

I didn't win the First Chapter contest, but again, I did recieve some very good feedback about them. (More to come on that later, it wasn't all good...) I have since read two of the chapters that did win, and frankly, they deserved it more than I did! Congrats and kudos to the winners!

I came home with a half dozen new books - I'll be doing reviews on at least two of them over the next couple of weeks - including "The Hourglass Door" by Lisa Mangum (fantastic! - kinda like Twilight, only BETTER!) and "Bone Warriors" by Bron Bahlmann (he's fifteen! I'm not done yet, but it sure starts great!).

The workshops and classes were great, as they always are. It dawned on me, though, that you can only talk, discuss, and study the craft so much. Then it comes down to actually writing - you know, that thing we do? And I have not been doing enough of that part of the equation.

So, even though I am not instantly rich and famous, and didn't get to stay for the entire program - it was absolutely worth it. I'll be going again next year, thats for sure.